Attachment plug receptacle



July 28, 1936. JOHNSON 2,049,381

ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEPTACLE Filed July 15, 1931 35' I! a I Z9 INVENTOR 660796 R iflkn 6072 Patented July 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTAOHMEN T PLUG RECEPTACLE George A. Johnson,

Fairfield, Conn., assignor to Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application July 15, 1931, Serial No. 550,969

15 Claims.

This invention relates to attachment plug receptacles. More particularly, this invention relates to, duplex attachment plug receptacles in which the contacts of the two outlets are adapted to be fed from separate feed lines. One of the many instances of the utility of this device is in a kitchen where an electric refrigerator and an electric iron are to derive current through the same receptacle. If both outlets were fed from the same branch circuit of the power system that circuit might, when both the refrigerator and iron were drawing current, become overloaded. When the outlets are fed separately, that is by difierent branch circuits, the difiiculty of overloading is removed.

It is an object of this invention to make a simple and compact contact construction for a receptacle of the above type, which can be as-' sembled in the receptacle quickly and easily.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a view of a receptacle embodying my invention, looking into the receptacle from the rear when the rear cover and supporting strap are partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is aside view of the receptacle shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of one of the contacts used in the receptacle.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the contact shown in Fig. 3, assembled.

Fig. 5 is a. perspective view of the insulating member of the contact assembly.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of member for insulating and joining the contacts of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the receptacle comprises a hollow insulating casing 10, having a spine I2, running up its middle, four conventionally located and spaced T-shaped contact slots 14 in its front face (bottom as seen in Fig. 1) and recesses IS in its side walls to accommodate the wire terminals ill of the receptacle contact assemblies, which will hereinafter be described. The receptacle has a rear cover plate 20 of sheet insulation which holds the contacts in place and is itself held in place by the conventional supporting strap'22 of the receptacle in the customary manner.

The receptacle has two contact assemblies which are identical and interchangeable. De-

scription of one will therefore suffice. Each contact assembly is made of a number of component parts including two metallic strips 25 which are bent laterally at right angles, as at 21, mid way of their lengths and again bent laterally in U-formation as at 29, leaving a tail which presses against the spine 12. One edge of each of these contacts is flush with the plane of the rear of the receptacle and lies against and is supported by the rear cover plate 20. Contact fingers 33, 35 project up from the bent portions of the contacts 25 toward the front of the receptacle and adjacent the T-slots l4, for engagement by the prongs (not shown) of an attachment plug cap as they are inserted in the slots l4. The ends of the straightportions of the contacts have portions 31, extending forwardly of the receptacle, forming wire terminals. The free ends 38 of these wire terminals are bent approxlmately 45 from the plane of the terminals for a purpose as will hereinafter appear.'

Joining the contacts together in insulated rela- 20 tion are a pair of angles, 40, a plate of insulation 42 and two hollow, square headed rivets 44. The I angles may be conveniently punched from a sheet of fibrous insulation and bent into angular form as shown in Fig. 5. These angles are fitted to- 25 gether back to back with their abutting portions 40a projecting between the ends of the contacts 25 and their oppositely directed portions 40b lying behind the terminals 31. The insulating plate 42 liesvbehind the portions 40b and is of such size as 30 to be in substantial registry with the edges of the portions 40b when the portions 40a are back to back. Thus, this plate joins the contact 25 and angle 40 at one end of the contact assembly to the angle and contact at the other end.

The component parts of the contact assembly are secured together by the hollow rivets 44 which pass through registering holes 48 in the contacts 25, angles 40b, and plate 42. .These rivets are internally threaded to receiveterminal screws 50. There are extensions 40c projecting forwardly of the receptacle from the portions 401; of the angles 40, between the inclined portions 38 of the wire terminals 31. It may now be seen that the function of these inclined portions 38 is to keep the portions 40a of the angles 40 perpendicular to the wire terminals 31.

It will be observed that by having square heads on the rivets 44 with one edge of the head lying adjacent the insulating barrier formed by portions 50 40a of angles 40 any tendency of the rivets to rotate as the binding screws 50 are turned into the rivets, will be overcome. Thus even if the rivets should become slightly loosened the contact assembly would stay intact and function perfectly.

' parts of which may be cheaply manufactured and easily assembled in the receptacle.

Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, therefore I do not limit my invention to the specific embodiment shown.

I claim:

1. A contact assembly for a duplex attachment plug receptacle, comprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, a

pair of angle members made of insulating material, an insulating member joining said metallic members, a pair of hollow rivets securing said metallic members to said insulating member, said rivets having non-circular portions to prevent their being rotated, said angle members being secured back-to-back between said metallic members by said rivets, and binding screws threaded into said rivets. I

2. A contact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, angle members of insulating material, an insulating member joining a pair of said metallic members, hollow rivets securing said pair of metallic members to said insulating member, a pair of said angle members being secured back-to-back between said pair of metallic members by said rivets, and binding screws threaded into said rivets;

3. A contact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, angle members of insulating material, an insulating member joining a pair of said metallic members, rivets securing said pair of metallic members to said insulating member, a pair of said angle members being secured backto-back between said pair of metallic members by said rivets.

4. Acontact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, angle members of insulating material, an insulating member joining a pair of said metallic members, meanssecuring said pair of metallic members to said insulating member, a pair of said angle members being secured'backto-back between said pair of metallic members.

5. A contact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a'plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members adapted to e located at opposite ends of a receptacle an on the same side thereof, said metallic members each having a'contact portion and a substantially flat wire terminal portion, insulating means having a por-, tion perpendicular to and between said wire terminal portions and insulating them from one another, and means securing said metallic members together in insulated relation, said'assembly' being insertable in said receptacleasa unit.-

6. A contact assembly for an attachmentplug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, an insulating. member for joining said metallic members, an angle member insulating said metallic members. and means securing said metallic members, insulating member and angle member together.

7. A contact assembly for an attachment plug 4 receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members adapted to be located 5 at opposite ends of a receptacle and on the same side thereof, said metallic members each having a contact portion and a wire terminal portion, an insulating member for joining said metallic members, said insulating member having a laterally extending portion between said metallic members and insulating them from each other, and means securing said metallic members to said insulating member.

8. A contact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members each having a contact portion and a wire terminal portion, an insulating member having a portion lying between and insulating said metallic members, said wire terminal portions having inclined portions tending to maintain said portion of said insulating mem ber in a position perpendicular to the plane of said wire terminals.

9. A contact assembly for an attachment plug 25 receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members adapted to be located at opposite ends of a receptacle and on the same side thereof, said metallic members each having a contact portion and a wire terminal portion, 30 angle members insulating said metallic members, and means securing said metallic members and angles together, whereby the assembly may be' inserted in the receptacle as a unit.

10. A contact assembly for an attachment plug 35 receptacle having a plurality of outlets, 'coinprising metallic members having contact portions and wire terminals, insulating means joining said metallic members and insulating them from one another, said metallic members being secured to said insulating means by hollow rivets internally threaded for the reception of binding screws.

11. A contact assembly for an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, comprising metallic members adapted to be located" at opposite ends of a receptacle and on the same side thereof, said metallic members each having a contact portion and a wire terminal portion, insulating means joining said metallic members and insulating them from one another, said metallic members being secured to said insulating means by rivets having head portions engaging withsaid insulating means to prevent said rivets from rotating. I 55 12. An attachment plug receptacle comprising an insulating body having a plurality of outlets, a bottom plate secured to said receptacle, a plurality of metallic members adapted to be located at opposite ends of a receptacle and on the same side thereof, said metallic members each having a contact portionand a wire terminal portion, an insulating member formed separately of said receptacle and insulating certain of said metallic members from each other and extending between the wire terminal portions of certain of said metallic members, and means including said bottom plate for holding said insulating member .and metallic members in position.

of said receptacle and having a portion perpendicular to and between said wire terminal portions and insulating them from one another, and means for holding said metallic members in fixed position at one side of said body with said perpendicular portion of said insulating means between them.

14. An attachment plug receptacle comprising a recessed insulating body having a plurality of outlets, a bottom plate secured to said receptacle, a plurality of metallic members each having a contact portion and a wire terminal portion, said contact portions lying within said body, a pair of wire terminals on one side of said body formed upon said Wire terminal portions, an insulating member formed separately of said insulating body and extending between and in sulating the wire terminals of said pair, and means including said bottom plate for holding said insulating member and metallic members in position at one side of said body.

15. An attachment plug receptacle comprising an insulating body having a plurality of outlets, a bottom plate secured to said fdeptam 5 rality of metallic members each having a contact portion and a substantially flat wire terminal portion, said contact portions lying within said body, a pair of wire terminals on one side of said body formed upon said wire terminal 10 portions, an insulating member formed separately of said insulating body and having a portion perpendicular to and between said pair of wire terminal portions and insulating them from one another, and means for holding said metallic 15 members in fixed position at one side of said body with said perpendicular portion between them.

GEORGE A. JOHNSON. 

